Raiders favored in only 2 games at Station, Caesars sportsbooks
The Raiders’ regular-season win total is either 6½ or 7, depending on the sportsbook. But they’re favored in only two games in lines posted at Station Sports and Caesars Sportsbook.
The Raiders are favored at both books over the Carolina Panthers in their Week 3 home opener at Allegiant Stadium and the Denver Broncos in their Week 12 AFC West matchup at Allegiant.
The lines vary in both games, as the Raiders are 6½-point favorites over the Panthers at Station and 4-point favorites at Caesars. The Raiders are 3-point favorites over the Broncos at Station and 1½-point favorites at Caesars.
“Those are really the only two games right now that we can make a solid case that they’re a favorite in,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “The quarterback position is still a major question for the Raiders. That’s the reason you’re seeing the low win total and that they’re the underdog in so many games, although on paper they have a relatively easy schedule.”
Second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and veteran Gardner Minshew are expected to compete for the starting job for the Raiders, who went 8-9 last season (10-6-1 against the spread).
Eight of the Raiders’ 16 games currently on the board (Week 18 is off) are virtual toss-ups, with lines of 3 or less.
In Week 17, they are 3-point underdogs at New Orleans in a possible matchup against former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
The Raiders are 2-point home underdogs to the Browns, Falcons and Jaguars, and 1-point home underdogs to the Steelers. The Raiders’ game at Denver is a pick’em.
At Station, the Raiders are 10-point underdogs at Kansas City on Black Friday. The line is 7½ (-120) at Caesars. The Raiders are 7-point home underdogs to the Chiefs at Station and +5½ (-120) at Caesars.
The Raiders are 8-point underdogs at Cincinnati at Station and +7 (-120) at Caesars.
They are 7½-point underdogs at Miami at Station and +6 (-120) at Caesars.
Celtics, Wolves favored
The NBA is down to its final four teams. The Celtics are -150 favorites at the Westgate SuperBook to win the championship, followed by the Timberwolves at +250, the Mavericks at 5-1 and the Pacers at 35-1.
Boston is a -900 favorite over Indiana (+600) in the Eastern Conference Finals. Minnesota is a -170 favorite over Dallas (+150) in the Western Conference Finals.
“If the Celtics don’t win it this year, my god,” SuperBook NBA oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. “They had a depleted Heat team in the first round, a depleted Cavs team in the second round, then they get the Pacers in the conference finals, so they don’t even have to play Philadelphia or Milwaukee. And then, if they get past that, there’s no Nuggets on the other side.
“They have to take advantage of this year.”
For openers
Boston is a 10-point home favorite over Indiana in Game 1 on Tuesday after sharp action on the Pacers initially caused the line to drop from 9½ to 8½.
“The Pacers can beat any team in the NBA on any given night because they’re capable of shooting the lights out, the way that they play fast and shoot 3s,” Sherman said. “I don’t think in the end that they can actually overcome (the Celtics). But they’re capable of winning a game or two.”
The Timberwolves, who eliminated defending NBA champion Denver on Sunday, are 4-point home favorites over the Mavericks in Game 1 on Wednesday.
“It’s a tough series. I don’t think there’s too much separating them,” Sherman said. “I think the public is going to be more enthralled with Minnesota with what they did with Phoenix, sweeping them, and taking out the defending champions.
“They love Anthony Edwards right now, and they’re more of a public team than Dallas is.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.